Bobby pin



K. L. DEWING Oct. 16, 1962 BOBBY PIN Filed March 8, 1960 KENNETH[.DEW/HG INVEHTOQ ATTOQHEYS Unite The invention relates to hair pins,commonly called bobby pins, and has particular reference to animprovement in a bobby pin to enable the pin to achieve a better grip onthe strands of hair and at the same time impart to the strands of hairan additional twist or wave.

The simple hair pin known currently as a bobby pin in the form currentlypopular has been a pin formed of opposite sections of spring-likematerial curved in the form of a loop at one end to supply the springforce holding the adjacent sections together, there having been provideda wavy efiect from end to end of one only of the sections, as a rule, inthe interest of allowing room for a quantity of hair strands over whichthe pin is clasped so that the strands do not spread the pin unduly,thereby to impair the grip of the sections upon the hair.

Sundry modifications have been attempted from the conventional formwhich have attempted to introduce some special gripping means orgripping effect. The innovations which have been attempted haveinvariably resulted in modifications of the material of such an extentthat the necessary added cost has in the main offset the advantages tothe extent that virtually none of the modified forms have becomepopular. Bobby pins of the common type are sold in such quantities andin such a highly competitive market that differences in cost amountingto only a fraction of a penny are sufficient to make modified pinsnon-competitive and consequently non-salable, even though someimprovement might reside in the altered form.

It is nevertheless recognized that there is a limitation to the holdingpower of the conventional bobby pin and that on occasions it slips outof pace. It is also commonly recognized that not much wave can be formedin the hair by clamping action of the conventional bobby pin alone.Hence, considerable skill is needed by the user in setting pins side byside in such an arrangement that by the positioning of an assortment ofpins, the hair can be given a desired wave.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new andimproved form of bobby pin which is in all respects as inexpensive orperhaps more inexpensive than conventional bobby pins now in use andwhich at the same time is one capable of more adequately gripping thestrands of hair.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved bobbypin of such form and character that it is capable of giving to thestrands of hair a double reverse curve or Wave which is achieved purelyby the clamping action of opposite sections of the pin.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedmethod of forming a bobby pin and the resulting product which makespossible utilization of a strip of spring bar material of continuouslyuniform cross section and having such a crossasectional shape that whenthe bar material is bent upon itself, opposite sections may be slightlyoffset with respect to each other so that portions only match up,thereby to form gripping faces providing a more tenacious grip upon thestrands of hair while at the same time avoiding any appreciable changein the outward appearance of the device and avoiding any increase in thecost of manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedbobby pin of extremely simple shape and form but which by virtue of itsspecial cross-sectional shape makes possible an interlock betweenopposite sec rates Patent ice tions which achieves a double purpose ofproviding a firmer grip and at the same time imparting to the hairstrands an extra wave.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of thedevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafterset forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a strip of bar material in its initialshape prior to being formed into a bobby pin.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a finished bobby FIGURE 3 is a planview of a finished bobby pin.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a modified form ofbar material usable in forming the bobby pin.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustrationa strip 10 of relatively springy bar material is shown in the formexisting when the strip of material emerges either from an extrusion dieor a forming roll, depending on how the strip of material is fabricated.The strip is in the form of a shallow V having an appreciably roundedbottom 11 formed by legs 12 and 13. Edges 14 and 15 of the respectivelegs may be rounded to a considerable degree in order to avoid anypossible tendency when the bobby pin is used to break individual strandsof hair. The recess between opposite sides extends longitudinallythrough the length of the bar.

The strip 10 is usually cut into lengths equal to approximately twicethe length of the finished pin shown in FIGURE 2 during the process ofmanufacture. The strip is bent so as to form a loop 16 of an appreciabledegree of curvature in order not to impair the resilience of thematerial and to provide an arcuate spring to connect one section or barof the finished bobby pin, indicated generally by the referencecharacter 17, to the other section or bar of the finished bobby pin,indicated generally by the reference character 18.

When the sections or bars are folded over upon each other, they areoffset slightly by twisting the loop 16 in the area indicated generallyby the reference character 19. Due to the fact that the actual physicaldimensions of the strip are relatively narrow, measured in only a smallfraction of an inch, the offset or twist in the area 19 is only slight.

During the forming process, the section 17 is given an undulating effectresulting in a succession of inwardly extending configurations 20alternating with a series of outwardly extending configurations 21.

The opposite section or bar 18 ordinarily is left substantially straightfrom end to end. Where the inwardly extending configurations '20approach the section 18, legs 13 thereof extend toward the bottom of theV and an inner face 22 of the leg 13, for example, overlies an innerface 23 of the leg 12 and in the absence of strands of hair lyingtherebetween will be pressed into face to face relationship. Theportions of the section 17 intermediate the inwardly extendingconfigurations 20 extend outwardly away from contact with the section 18and pro vide appreciable space therebetween to accommodate aconsiderably greater thickness of hair strands than are accommodatedbetween the faces 22, 23. In fact, pressure of the face 22 against theface 23 tends to work strands 24 of hair laterally outwardly into themore comrn-odious spaces beneath the configurations 21. 'It is alsoimportant to note that when the haid strands 24 are clamped between thefaces 22, 23, the strands are given a double or reverse wave in that onebend 25 in the hair strand occurs at the bottom of the V of section 17and another bend 26 of the hair strand occurs at the bottom of the V ofsection 18. In each instance the bend is forced into the hair by strandsby the adjacent leg of the V which extends outwardly away from thecontacting faces 22, 23.

Some forms of the device have been found more acceptable when edges 14and 15 are provided with a rounded serrated effect, as shown in FIGURE5, which is productive of a series of recesses 26 alternating with aseries of projections 27. These can be made identical on both edges 14and 15 and in the finished form of the bobby pin will be productive ofan appreciable combing and aligning efifect when strands of hair arefastened by the pm.

To further facilitate fastening the pin into the hair, the free end 30of the section 17 can be bent outwardly away from the free end 31 of thesection 18 to leave a slot within which the finger or fingernail can beinserted in order to spread the sections apart or into which a bunch ofhair strands may be inserted for a comparable purpose. It is, however,of no great moment whether the end 30 be bent outwardly or the end 31 bebent outwardly or both, provided a suificient opening between themresults.

Because of the fact that the strip can be made in a substantiallyshallow V section of precisely identical crosssectional shape throughoutits length when it is initially formed, the stock or strip materialwhich ultimately results in the finishedbobby pin is extremelyinexpensive to manufacture. Further, by reason of the fact that thecross-sectional shape is virtually identical in both sections 17 and 18before the configurations are worked into the section 17, the bending ofthe sections to form the loop 17 is likewise a simple and inexpensiveprocess in that a simple turn is all that is needed to perform thebending and to give the respective sections their slightly oflisetrelationship in the area 19.

Further still, inasmuch as an attractive appearance is very needful inselling devices of this kind, the oifset relationship has no detrimentaleffect when the bobby pins are placed upon a card, as they usually arefor sale, because when mounted on such a card and viewed from one sideonly, as is customary, the offset relationship is concealed and what thecustomer views has a regular and not an unconventional appeal no matterwhich side the card may be viewed from. Hence, the advantage gained fromthe novel oifset relationship is not one which is detrimental to theselling appeal of the device.

As a consequence, there is made available a bobby pin having desirablenew features embodied in a device, the-cost of which is at least as lowas the cost of conventional pins and, in frequent instances, appreciablylower.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in What isconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support ofLetters Patent is:

'l. A hair pin comprising a pair of bars, and means at one endresiliently pressing said bars together, said bars having each asubstantially longitudinally extending recess intermediate opposite sideedges with said recesses facing each other, said bars havinglongitudinal axes oifset with respect to each other and being positionedso that as viewed from one end the right side of one bar overlies and ispressed by said means toward the left side of the other bar with eachoverlying side respectively contained within the recess of the oppositeside.

2. A hair pin comprising a pair of bars bent from a length of wire ofuniform cross sectional shape throughout its length and math a recessextending from end to end, said bars when bent having recesses ofsubstantially identical cross-sectional shape therein facing each otherand a bent portion of said wire joining said bars at one end andreFsiliently pressing said bars together, said bars having longitudinalaxes offset laterally with respect to each other and being positioned sothat as viewed from one end the right leg of one bar overlies the leftleg of the other bar with the overlying legs respectively containedwithin the recesses.

3. A hair pin for strands of hair comprising a pair of bars ofsubstantially the same cross-sectional shape and having a centrallongitudinally extending recess in one face of each bar, said barscomprising a single strip of bar material bent upon itself and a springloop of said strip joining adjacent ends of the bars and comprisingspring means holding said bars together, a first of said bars beingsubstantially straight in a longitudinal direction and having the openside of the recess facing the other bar, a second of said bars having anundulating form from end to end forming a succession of inwardly andoutwardly extending configurations, said second bar having the open sideof the recess facing the first bar, said second bar at a portion thereofin contact with the hair having the longitudinal axis thereof oifsetrelative to the longitudinal axis of the first bar to a position whereina portion of said first bar on one side of the recess extends into therecess of said second bar and wherein said one portion is urged by saidspring loop toward the alternate opposite side of the other bar wherebyto force some of the strands of hair held by the hair pin into the formof a double reverse curve.

4. A hair pin for strands of hair comprising a pair of bars ofsubstantially the same cross-sectional shape and having a centrallyextending recess in one face of the bar, said bars comprising a singlestrip of bar material bent upon itself and a spring loop of said stripjoining adjacent ends of the bars and comprising spring means holdingsaid bars together, a first of said bars being substantially straight ina longitudinal direction and having the open side of the recess facingthe first bar, said second bar having the longitudinal axis thereofofiset relative to the longitudinal axis of the first bar to a positionwherein the face of a portion of said first bar on one side of therecess extends into the open side of the recess of said second bar andoverlies the inside face of the respectively adjacent portion onthealternate opposite side of said second bar whereby toforce some of thestrands of hair held by the hair pin into the form of a double reversecurve, edges of the side portions of both said bars facing toward eachother having a serrated form for separating strands of hair securedthereby and for grasping only some of the strands of hair extendingbetween said bars.

5. A method of forming a hair pin comprising producing a strip of springbar material in a form having a substantially central longitudinallyextending shallow, recess with a rounded bottom extending from end toend and of substantially uniform cross-sectional shape and depth fromend to end, cutting said strip of bar material into separate lengths,forming a bend intermediate opposite ends. of each length, separatingsaid bar into two sections, forming at least one of said sections into aseries of alternate inwardly and outwardly extending configurations,bending said sections into position against each other with the opensides of the recesses facing towards each other, and offsetting onesection with respect to the other section so that a portion of each baron one side of the recess is received in a position adjacent the bottomof the recess of the respectively opposite bar and is pressed intoengagement with the portion of said opposite bar and the alternateopposite side of the recess therein.

-6. A method of forming a hair pincomprisingproducing a strip of springbar material in a form having a sub stantially shallow recess with arounded bottom, forming said recess with a substantially uniformcross-sectional shape and depth from end to end of said strip, cuttingsaid strip of bar material to a length about twice the length of thefinished hair pin, forming a bend about midway between opposite endsdividing said length into two sections, forming one, of said sectionsinto a straight length and forming the other of said sections into aseries of alternate inwardly and outwardly extending configurations,bending said sections into position against each other with the opensides of the recesses facing towards each other, and offsetting onesection with respect to the other section a distance about one-half thebreadth of the recess so that inside faces of corresponding sideporti-ons of the inwardly extending configurations overlie correspondingopposite side portions of the opposite bar and are pressed intoengagement therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

